Public Speaking Handbook – 5 Public Speaking Myths Demystified #2
Public speaking career is surrounded by myths, there is no doubt about that. And I already wrote how all this nonsense is holding so many people back from at least giving public speaking a chance. They walk away without trying even once and thus experiencing this great feeling that accompanies a speaker when he is walking off stage, no matter how big or small it was.
Today is the time to demystify another of the public speaking myths and free you from your fear of public speaking.
Myth #2: Every time you deliver a speech, something publicly humiliating will happen.
This myth alone is the source of many public speaking fears and phobias. I know a great deal of people who feel paralyzed before having to even voice their opinion, only because they fear that something terribly humiliating is going to happen. Worse, they are certain that it WILL happen.
But here is the catch. Think of so many presentations you have witnessed in your life. From your teachers at school, sales presentations in your company to big conferences you attended through work. And now tell me, on how many of them something terrible has actually happened?
Of course, there are those slips of the tongue, or a laptop shuts itself down during presentation or something else happens but which of those situations are actually publicly humiliating? None, exactly. And in fact, if you think about it, in all of those rare cases where something did happen, did the speaker not turn it into his favor by a clever joke or a punchline?
I, personally used to believe in this myth for years. And every time I was just about to walk on stage I was preparing myself mentally for any disaster I could only imagine. And you know what? In most cases nothing happened. Once or twice my laptop shut down (I forgot to check the battery beforehand) or the microphone wasn't turned on when I started my presentation. These were a very few incidents amongst tens of speeches I delivered though.
So, next time you are about to go on stage or stand in front of any audience remember that the only publicly humiliating thing that could happen to you is to be standing there unprepared to deliver your speech. But if that was the case you wouldn't be there after all, so you have nothing to worry about.